A “user interface” (UI) allows a user to interact with a computer or processing system. A UI may contain a display, tactile controls, or peripheral devices (e.g., mouse, touch pad, joystick) to facilitate entering data and making selections. The processing system, under control of one or more computer processors, might provide a graphical UI (GUI) though the display. A GUI might or might not include touch controls.
A “database” stores and organizes data in any number of file structures and tangible computer-accessible storage devices, in any format. A “database system” (and, indeed, a database) may be hierarchical, and include one or more databases, possibly of a variety of different contents, types, formats, and access means. For example, a database in a database system might be a relational database, an object-oriented database, a flat text file, or a collection of images or audio/video tracks.
By “logic” we mean hardware, and software instructions executing on that hardware, that executes instructions, makes decisions, and initiates actions.
A “robot” is an apparatus or system that performs physical tasks under control of a processing system or controller, which executes controller logic. Note that two robots, each with separate controllers, may be under common supervision or direction by a single controller. This combination of robots may be regarded as a single robot. Similarly, if robot A directs robot B, the combination of A and B may be regarded as itself a robot. In some instances, to emphasize that two or more robots might be involved, we may use the term “robotic system” rather than “robot.”
A “scanning system” consists of one or more scanners acting under a common control. Each scanner in the system has a respective scanning technology, scans specific types of objects, and obtains from those objects specific types of information. Between any two scanners in the system, the technologies used may be the same or different; the types of objects may be the same or different; and the types of information may be the some or different. A scanning system might or might not be part of a robotic system.
A “product item” is an individual instance of a product model. A “product type” is a set of product items having something in common. The following are exemplary product types; all product items of a given model or stock-keeping unit (SKU); all product items from a given manufacturer; all product items from a given supplier; all product items having a given functionality (e.g., video cameras); all product items of a given model having a particular color; all product items of a given variety (e.g., freeze-dried strawberries) and shelf-life or sell-by date; a set of individually-identified product items.
Herein, we will regard the terms “replenish” and “restock” as synonyms.